Anaheim Ducks 2, Nashville Predators 3 FINAL SO

Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Paul Kariya has wasted no time making his mark with the Nashville Predators.

Kariya scored the lone goal in a shootout against his former team when the Predators edged the Anaheim Mighty Ducks 3-2 on Saturaday night.

"Paul does not feel pressure," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "He keeps his emotions in check. He thinks and prepares for the game very intelligently. It was a storybook ending with him winning the shootout against his old team."

After all three Anaheim shooters had missed along with Nashville's Steve Sullivan and Marek Zidlicky, Kariya beat Jean-Sebastien Giguere high to the right side to give the Predators the victory.

"Those two guys know each other quite well," said Anaheim's Scott Niedermayer. "They've probably done that hundreds of times before."

Yanic Perreault scored a pair of goals, one on the power play, for Nashville as goaltender Tomas Vokoun won his 100th career NHL game. Vokoun stopped 33 of the 35 shots he faced.

"We are starting to look for each other on the ice more," Perreault said. "We are really getting a feel for each other. We are going out there with a lot of confidence."

"When you lose the shootout, you feel like you lost the hockey game," Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle said. "But we didn't lose the hockey game. We lost a point and they gained a point. That's the reality of it."

The Mighty Ducks took a 1-0 lead in the first period when Samuel Pahlsson tapped in a pass that went across the goal mouth from Corey Perry. The Predators tied the game in the second period at the 7:22 mark on a power-play goal by Perreault.

The Predators went ahead 2-1 only 37 seconds in the third period when Perreault tapped in the puck after Steve Sullivan shot it into the crease area.

Anaheim's Petr Sykora tied the game 2-2 when he skated down the left side of the slot and fired a wrist shot to the right side of the net that caught Vokoun out of position at 13:19.

"Our players worked extremely hard," Carlyle said. "It was a fast-paced game, and it wasn't no-hit hockey. It was a physical game and those are tough ones to play."

Notes: Nashville is 2-0 to start the season for the first time in franchise history. ... Perreault's power-play goal was the first for the Predators this season. ... It was Perrault's first two-goal game since Dec. 13, 2003, when he was playing for Montreal against Tampa Bay.